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Cool. Looks like a slight variation of Grandia's action bar there. Glad I have 400 MS points sitting around waiting to be used.

Zeboyd, if you're around...did Penny Arcade write the dialogue or will we get something more akin to Breath/Cthulhu? And what are we expecting in terms of gameplay? Any changes to the Zeboyd RPG formula?

Zeboyd, if you're around...did Penny Arcade write the dialogue or will we get something more akin to Breath/Cthulhu?

Both. I wrote some of it, Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade wrote some of it, and we edited each other's work. I'm really pleased with how it turned out - I think it's extremely funny.

And what are we expecting in terms of gameplay? Any changes to the Zeboyd RPG formula?

Oh yes. The big changes are:

No random encounters. All battles can be seen on the map.
Class progression system. Each character has one class that is unique to them and up to 2 additional class slots that they can equip other classes (13 to choose from), each with its own abilities, stat bonuses, and passive abilities.
New MP system. Characters start at 0 MP at the beginning of battle and gain 1 MP each turn.
New item system. 6 different items to use and they recharge at the beginning of each battle. Items can be upgraded (both power & how many times you can use them per battle).
Time bar complete with Grandia style interrupt abilities that let you push enemies back (more effective if you time it when they're at the very end).
1 Weapon slot and 1 accessory slot for each character. Weapons are character-specific; accessories can be used by anyone.
Some battles have special conditions (like boosting the effectiveness of a certain element or giving you a bunch of MP at the start of a battle but preventing you from regenerating MP each turn).

The dialogue for Rainslick3 was written by Jerry Holkins, but the way the story was implemented was a collaborative effort between Jerry and Robert (Boyd). So there's definitely some Zeboyd influence on the humor, but this is definitely a Penny Arcade story and writing. Honestly, and I think Robert will agree, I think the story is better than our previous games as a result! A lot of good ideas bouncing back and forth between 2 funny guys, you know.

The gameplay has changed in numerous ways from Breath and CSTW, because we wanted something fresh from our previous gameplay style. The concept of keeping the pace of the game quick and interesting things happening in a fairly quick succession is still there of course. However, we have removed random encounters, and have now placed visible enemies on-map for battle encounters. The battles themselves are still fast paced, but since we were able to plot each encounter location, we were able to design every battle in the game specifically, resulting in a lot of unique and much more interesting battles than in CSTW or Breath. As far as other mechanics go, we have employed a Class system in this, which allows each character (which has a base class) to be able to equip 2 additional Classes. This lets players mix and match classes of all types to fit their own play style, and for adjusting different strategies. Our item and MP systems are also different here in the sense that you start with 0 MP and it increases each turn, letting you use spells/abilities as you like or choose to "save up" for more powerful attacks later in the battle. Items are based on # of uses that replenish after every battle, and the # of uses can be upgraded. We also have an interrupt system akin to interruptions in Grandia, allowing you to set back certain enemies from attacking, among other things.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited to be so close to finishing; we are at the polishing/playtesting/bug testing phase right now and we're working hard to make it our best game so far, which I feel that it is

edit: beat'd so hard!

Also, it's a July release date (some people on twitter have been misreading the announcement as June).

Not in a big role, but there are two versions of them in the first dungeon (and they're actually in the first battle of the game). Of course, since we're trying to keep the language relatively clean, they're listed by their model numbers - FF-2020Ti and FF-2030GT - and not their full name.

Not in a big role, but there are two versions of them in the first dungeon (and they're actually in the first battle of the game). Of course, since we're trying to keep the language relatively clean, they're listed by their model numbers - FF-2020Ti and FF-2030GT - and not their full name.

i bought the first two on steam last night on the cheap so i can be totally ready for this one!

Oh, but as this is the kind of thing I like to have around to mix it up from the standard melodrama of the rpg genre (a good healthy sense of humour that is), I have to wonder if there are plans for any more games in the PA series, or if you guys might work together again on something new? (directed at mr. boyd, obviously).

i bought the first two on steam last night on the cheap so i can be totally ready for this one!

Oh, but as this is the kind of thing I like to have around to mix it up from the standard melodrama of the rpg genre (a good healthy sense of humour that is), I have to wonder if there are plans for any more games in the PA series, or if you guys might work together again on something new? (directed at mr. boyd, obviously).

Are the battles "basically real time" like in Grandia (only stopping at menus)? Because otherwise I'd rather say the battle system is like in Atelier Iris Grand Phantasm than Grandia.

Also, I didn't really like the other Penny Arcade games, but this one interests me. I hope it's fine to play it without knowing what happened beforehand.

The battles are real time, stopping at menus, yes; which is really why the time bar is helpful, seeing where enemies are, when they'll attack, and so forth. It also makes interrupting their attacks and casting time-based spells more interesting.

As far as going into Rainslick3 without having played the first two, the story's been written so that you can jump right into the series with the third one. We've also included some things in the beginning of the game that you can optionally check out to gain a little more info on the previous two games' stories as well, if you're curious but don't feel like playing through RS1 and 2 to begin with this one.

Very glad that this series is getting finished, though it'll be interesting to see the stylistic disparities between Zeboyd and Hothead. Loved the first two, so I hope this one is just as good, if not better.

Definitely happy to see you've improved on your gameplay formula. Sounds like a nice adaptation of the stuff from the first two, hopefully with some improvements (no more timed defenses, I hope. Those were annoying)

I'm kind of wondering what happens to the player-made character from the first two games though. Does he finally bite the dust? I mean, the first two games started with his house getting trashed. His luck can't hold out forever

God's Final Message to His creation, written in thirty-foot high letters of fire on the side of the Quentulus Quazgar Mountains:
We Apologize for the Inconvenience